Missionary – Des Moines, Iowa 6/2015 – 1/2017

Month: April 2016

I hope you are all having a wonderful spring! I know I am haha 🙂 we are enjoying the good weather while we can. all too soon its going to be blistering hot… So for now its super nice! 🙂 This week has been great! we’ve been working hard and trying to find new investigators and helping strengthen the ward. On Tuesday we had a meeting with the Relief Society presidency and we talked about sister who could use some focusing and it was one of the most productive meetings i’ve been too! Then On Sunday Our new Relief Society president presented the Ward mission plan that i’ve been trying to get presented to our ward council since March. And it went Fantastic! we’re going to use it and eveyone is on board with it. 🙂 I came home from church so happy this week!

This week we also had our exchanges and that was fun 🙂 its always good to learn from other sisters and see how they do missionary work. We taught fun short lessons and it was a good time!

Also this last Sunday I was asked to speak again… haha 🙂 this is my 3rd time in Marshalltown I’ve spoken more then the other missionaries because once I was the only missionary asked to speak… So I’m getting a lot of practice in. but this talk was centered mainly around “is the gospel written on my heart” and My hope was to try to get people to try to just be a little bit better and know that the savior is always there for them. His arm of mercy is always extended out to them. But the best part of Sunday was when Paula bore her testimony. It was so sweet and sincere. She spoke about how she came to know of the truthfulness of the gospel and the change it has brought to her life. 🙂 This is the best part of missionary work. Seeing the effect the Gospel has to change someone’s life for the better. its amazing!

I want you to all know that I love you and that I pray all the time for you! I’m so grateful for the love and support you all give me as a missionary. 🙂 Thank you for all you do!

Hello Friends and Family! 😀 I hope life was good for you and that you enjoyed conference! I know I sure did! I know that the speakers order was very inspired too… I have crazy story to be shared later in my email 🙂

So this week was awesome! We had Zone Conference in Des Moines and it was so cool! Sister Jensen did a Sister Missionary break out session and we talked about us as sisters 🙂 Apparently the Elders behave a lot better with Sisters around so the Jensens have tried to put sisters in as many districts and zones as possible. 🙂 I thought that was nice 🙂 haha but We also got the lyrics to the MTC as sisters in Zion song. I’ll put the first verse here:

The Sisters of Zion are called to God’s Labor

We Willingly serve him with sprite and might

we go to the nations with truth everlasting

we teach of the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ

I’ll probably send the next verses in subsequent weeks 😉

On Friday was probably one of the most crazy days of my mission. We went over to the Johnson’s house for the last minutes things before their baptism on Saturday. and Sky doesn’t want to be baptized anymore 😦 and its so sad, so we try to help to overcome and fear or questions but to no avail… then the Elder’s investigator who was supposed to be baptized the same time as the Johnsons decided he wanted his own baptism… So on Friday night we had to find a new speaker and a new person to pray. then after that happened John texted us and said he was going to wait to be baptized with Sky. On top of that President and Sister Jensen were coming to the baptism. I don’t think i’ve ever cried so much over investigators then I did on Friday… I remember just going home and falling to my knees and just pouring my heart out to Heavenly Father and asking for help and strength. after a few minutes we pulled out a conference talk by Elder Holland. “Missionary Work and the Atonement” and we just cried some more.

On Saturday the Johnson’s came to the church to watch conference. and Elder Erying’s talk was perfect! So much of it applied to them and I think they could really see themselves in it. and so after that session we talked to them a little bit and John was ready. He was going to do it. 🙂 So we gave them their clothes and we were so happy! … then we remembered… we forgot to fill the font… Yikes! haha that’s embarrassing! Especially with President there… but in the end John, Paula, and Zoe got baptized and received the Holy Ghost 🙂 It was a great day!

I loved conference and i’m so grateful for the spirit that was there! Something I had a question on that I received an answer for wasn’t said during conference but what the spirit testified to me.

It was about God’s Cursing to the Lamanites.

Growing up I was told that that’s one of the reasons that we have people of other Races… But I wondered why would God who is a respecter of No persons be so racist? and after talking with people of native American decent i’ve finally come to an answer for myself. When its talking about a cursing on their skin its not talking about the skin itself but about the countenance of the people. We talk all about how we as members of the church have a light in our eyes. Well if we don’t follow the principles of the gospel that light darkens. The book of Mormon talks about how God can lift that curse from people, I don’t think he changed their skin tones. I believe that light was restore to their eyes and their countenance. With so much going on in the world today with terrorist attacks and awful things I think its important to remember that God Loves all his children the same and so should we. I know that this gospel is true and I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and any errors found in it are mistakes of man not of God. I encourage all of you to re-read the talks from Conference and apply the teachings into your own lives. 🙂

Thanks for all you do for me! I love you all!

Happy Conference Weekend!

Love,

SisterPope

ps. For April 1st some member tried to tell me that BYU Bought USU and it was going to be become BYU Logan…. I caught it as a joke before she even did. 🙂 Funny Day!

^^ That was on a church billboard in Eldora and I thought it was awesome 🙂 Anyway!

This week was pretty good! We had a lot of opportunity to go finding… meaning a lot of our appointments fell through… but its okay! We had the opportunity to meet even more people! One miracle that happened was after our 2 dinner appointments fell through we went finding and we knocked into this family, and after we told them who we were they were like, Do you know John Johnson? (Our family that we are baptizing this next week) and we’re like “Yeah!” He’s actually getting baptized next week! you want to come! and they were so shocked that they wanted to know what we teach. 🙂 It was so cool 🙂 I love those days when I can see the blessings that come from obedience and using our time to the fullest. 🙂

Also this week we were able to volunteer at the house of compassion and color some eggs with homeless people 🙂 It was a good time. I laugh because there was a guy who was flirting hard core with my companion and I was involved in another conversation with a former investigator ( Pretty much i’m re-teaching the Law of Chasity) so of course the Elder’s step in and help but they are nuts… haha Elder Merrell tried to tell the guy off for flirting with his girl. I about died laughing. and you know the trouble with lies, they escalate and keep getting bigger… now they are “apparently” getting married tomorrow. Oh goodness! Silly Elders. Hahaha 🙂

John and Paula and Zoe passed their baptismal interview but Sky didn’t… We didn’t know that she was drinking iced tea. and She doesn’t want to give it up… Today we are going over to teach more about FHE And Joseph Smith. To strengthen her testimony so she can live the commandments. President says if she stops drinking it today and promises never to do it again she can be baptized with her family. So if you could all say a special prayer for Sky today 🙂 that would be Wonderful.

And Women’s Conference was so good! We were able to watch it at the church! 🙂 I’ll include a picture of everyone that was there 😉 but it was a good message about love and service and reaching out to those in our sphere of influence and serving them 🙂 I just encourage all of you to find one person you can serve today 🙂 remember what goes around comes around 😉

I want you all to know that I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and that he is our Savior. I know that he rose from the Grave so we all can be made alive again. I love this Easter Season as we all celebrate the Life of Christ regardless of faith or religion. 🙂 I love my Savior and all that he has done for me. I’m grateful for my mission and this opportunity I have labor in the Lord’s vineyard. 🙂